Dangerous Love
by OnlyInYourDreamzz17
Summary: Melinda May and her mother have never gotten along but when Melinda refuses to join the CIA and work under her mother she faces a betrayal that shatters their relationship forever. And could the new man in her life be her saving grace or more dangerous than even her mother. T for now.


**A/N: Because Melinda May is just about the best thing on AOS, IMO, at least. I just about flipped out when she said she was married once and I just ran with it.**

**Summary: Melinda May and her mother have never gotten along but when Melinda refuses to join the CIA and work under her mother she faces a betrayal that shatters their relationship forever. And could the new man in her life be her saving grace or more dangerous than even her mother.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D or it's character just borrowing them for fun.**

* * *

**Dangerous love**

**Chapter one- Legacy**

"Melinda, you're going to be late. Isn't discipline a virtue they teach you at the dojo?"

"I'm coming." Melinda huffed as she dragged her gym bag over her shoulder bouncing down the steps.

"You're dressing like that?" Malieah pointed to her yoga pants and tank top. "To your ceremony?"

"I'm getting my black belt not a diploma. What's the problem?" She fuzzed with a hand on her hip.

"The problem is-"

"You know what, don't answer that." Melinda said putting her hands up in surrender. "I'll go change."

Mumbling in her native tongue as she climbed the stairs.

"I heard that." Her mother said behind her.

She scoffed and continued up the stairs. She really needed to move out, of course her mother said it was too dangerous for her to live on her own. Everytime she brought it up she would have to listen to her lecture about how many enemies she had and if they couldn't get to her they would go after Melinda. It always ended with Melinda frustratedly asking why she had to be a spy in the first place.

"Come on Melinda. I have things to do today." Melinda rolled her eyes as she pulled her neck through the black blouse, she had already slipped on a black pencil skirt.

"I'll tell Han to leave you if you're not down here in-"

She tuned out the end of her sentence. Melinda loved her mother to death, she was a powerful and independent but Malieah meant for her daughter to grow up in her image. Unfortunately she had gotten her way but Melinda was twenty-one and there were certain things she could legally say no to now.

She hurried downstairs with her pumps in her hands and her gym bag dragging behind her.

"Better. You look beautiful." She smoothed down the side of Melinda's long dark hair. Those affectionate moments were very rare and only lasted for a little while but they happened.

"Come on." She was shooed out the door.

They took a different route to the dojo. Melinda was used to it, the backroads and the car swapping. Her mother was meticulous, especially about Melinda's safety. That much she couldn't be ungrateful for.

* * *

"Can I say this young lady has been a joy to train. One of the students that make it all worthwhile. Receiving her black belt for Kenpo Karate today, adding it to her long list of achievements. To name a few mixed martial arts, judo, jui jitsu, Tae-Kwon-Do, Wing Chun and now Kenopo Karate. Melinda May get up here."

She smiled as she bowed in front of her sensei. He placed the belt in her hands. She bowed before the audience and went back to her seat. It wasn't that she wasn't happy she was receiving another black belt but it had gotten old three black belts ago. She sat down slightly frowning when she looked over at her mother. She was already gathering her bag.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, I have things to do. Have Han take you back to the house when you're done."

"Okay." Melinda said a bit disappointed, though she shouldn't have been. She should have been used to it.

"I'm proud of you." Maliah whispered in Chinese with a soft smile.

Melinda nodded and watched her weave through the seats and leave.

Her attention returned to the ceremony folding her arms as another name was called.

"Erin Meyer."

* * *

When the ceremony had dwindled down Melinda stayed back with a few of her friends she met while training. She sat on the mat in the middle of the dojo with the others. Her eyes were trained on her legs extended in front of her, _what now_ ringing in her head.

"What's got you so quiet Mel?" Kal said bringing her out of her reverie.

"What's always got her so quiet?" Matt teased.

"Right, I mean what's got you more quiet than usual?"

"Nothing," She shrugged looking back at the others.

"So something." Christina said with a smile.

"I don't know what to do with myself now. I spent so long trying to get my black belt now that I have it I have to move on."

"Or you could just take some R and R like a normal person." Matt said.

"But she's not a normal person." Kal reminded. "Didn't you sign up for the FBI academy a while ago?"

"Yeah I did, haven't heard anything. I was probably rejected." She said with a slight pout, that was simply another attempt to get away from her mother.

"Come on, some alcohol will turn that frown upside down." Christina said getting to her feet.

"I can't."

"Come on Mel, you can't leave us hanging, not this time. We have something to celebrate, we're officially kick ass, got a black belt to prove it and everything."

"I don't know Chris." She mused aloud, "You all know my mother. She's super paranoid."

"You know what I say, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission." Christina baited.

Melinda smiled, "I'd have to lose my driver, Han is as relentless as my mother."

"That's why we'll go out the back." Matt said grabbing her hand and helping her up.

What could possibly go wrong she thought as she followed the others out the back.

* * *

"Okay, okay," Kal said above the small crowd. "I know the room is not spinning right now so I'm gonna call it a night."

Everyone murmured in agreement their reasons for taking off too.

"One last drink. On me." Kal said. "Shots?"

They all cheered but it was the vodka tonics cheering more than anything.

"Okay, to Karate, black belts...and," He hummed as his eyes fell on Melinda, "new adventures." She nodded knocking her shot glass with the others.

"Okay, bottoms up."

They all downed their shots slamming their shot glasses against the counter of the local bar.

After exchanging hugs they all walked to the door pulling on their coats. It was just past twelve a.m. Melinda felt like a teenager having to go home and explain her whereabouts to her mother. It was ridiculous.

"Hey Mel want a ride home?" Matt asked as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the bar, cold hands stuffed in their coat pockets trying to stay warm.

"Yeah why not, beats calling my driver. It's just one less person to yell at me."

He laughed. "You like Han right?"

"Yes, he's like a father to me. It's not really farfetched, I'm pretty sure he's sleeping with my mother."

"Come on," He drew her to his side warming her up a bit. "I gotta get out of DC and find somewhere warm to live."

She chuckled and looped her hands with his. "What about Kal? I don't think he's okay to drive." Melinda said as Kal's Nissan pulled off the curb.

"Christina volunteered to drive him home."

"Of course she did." Melinda said shaking her head as the car sped away.

"They should get it over with." Matt told her as they made their way to his car.

"Tell me about it. Their sexual tension was even making me uncomfortable."

He laughed as he opened the door for her before she could thank him and get in car they were ambushed by a black tinted SUV. The large vehicle blocked Matt's car.

"What the hell is this?" Matt asked subconsciously putting Melinda behind him. She was too scared and confused to roll her eyes and start an argument that she could hold her own.

"Look we don't want any trouble." Matt began putting his hands up to appease the situation as two men in black hoods got out of the car, no readable emotions on their faces. One of the hooded men twisted Matt's outstretched arm and broke it. Melinda gasped as he knocked Matt out slamming his head against his own car door. He dropped Matt's limp body and closed in on her. It dawned on her then she was obviously who they were there for. Or more appropriately, her mother.

She wasn't going to make the mistake Matt made and reason with him. She dropped kicked him to the stomach and he hunched over so she used it to her advantage and delivered a punch to the back of his neck knowing it would have kept him down. He collapsed to the ground just as the other swung at her. She dodged it and he ended up smashing his fist in the car. He winced in pain withdrawing his hand when Melinda took his bruised hand in hers and bended it across his back jamming him into the car.

"What do you want with me?" She asked as his face scrunched up with pain. He kept quiet no matter how hard she bended his hand. Returning the favor she slammed his head into the car knocking him out. She ran over to Matt once he was down. She took his head in her hands just as two other black SUVs parked beside the other one. Panic had finally taken a hold of her. Three more men came out but they didn't take one step before being put down by bullets coming from God knew where. Melinda hit the ground and crouched behind the car as the bullets continued. They ceased once she could see the bodies of the men hit the ground. Carefully she stood up looking at the massacre. She bristly took one of the men side arms and ran out into the road making sure there was no one else. A pair of headlights slowly approached her and the gun was trained on them before limousine pulled up and she sighed knowing whose vehicle it was. Han got out of the car and opened the door for her mother.

Dresses in all black with her hair tied back holding a sniper rifle in her hand, Malieah's face was steel as she pointed to the gun in Melinda's hand.

"Put that down and get in the car."

"I'm not leaving Matt." Melinda said defiantly still wielding the gun.

"I'll take him to the hospital. Tell him it was a mugging." Han said though it was directed to her mother. "And call for a clean up."

Melinda looked back Matt unconscious on the floor but her mother swung the car door open. "Now Melinda!" She was never able to disobey when her mother used that tone, that night was no different. Melinda did as she was told and got into the car.

* * *

"It was irresponsible and not to mention stupid." Malieah paced in front of Melinda who was sitting on the couch in the study. She had been ranting for the past hour.

"I'm sorry that I try to have a life out of this damn house. It was just drinks with my friends. How'd you even find me?"

"That's not important."

"Then what the hell do you get up to to have so much enemies? Can't you realize you're the only one putting my life in danger."

That silenced her mother and stopped her in her tracks. "I'm sorry. I never meant for you to be collateral damage. You don't worry about it, they won't ever get that close again."

"I just can't keep living like this."

"You won't have to. The reason I left early today was to pick something up." A gentle smile graced her lips unnerving Melinda.

She pulled out a manilla folder from the desk. Melinda got excited, maybe it was the lease to an apartment. A ticket to somewhere far, anything to for her to get away from Washington D.C.

"It's the safest place for you."

She handed her the folder. Melinda's smile fell when she saw the central intelligence agency stamp at the top of the white page in the folder. Even more bad news as she read further down the paper.

"What's this? You're putting me in CIA training facility?"

"No, I'm telling you that the agency is recruiting you to be a field agent, it's the best choice for you."

"You're so unbelievable mother. This was your plan all along. I'm not joining the damn CIA."

"Melinda you're flustered and tired, go to bed and think it over."

"I'm not flustered. I'm thinking quite clearly. I'm not joining the agency. I'm not you mother. How much longer are you going to try and control me?"

"Melinda I think this is the best bet for-"

"The best thing for me? Like being home schooled? Like having any life outside the dojo? I didn't even get to go to college, you're so damn jaded maybe I would already be dead if I said no."

"Don't fret, you're education is far superior to anything you could have learned in college."

"I can't do this Ma. I'll be at the hospital." Melinda said getting up, she was emotionally spent and staying in the same room with her mother would have been detrimental to her mental health.

"It's not safe Melinda. You can't go out there."

"I'm going anywhere unless you want to shoot me." Melinda said raising her chin as she glared at her mother.

"Do whatever you want Melinda." Melinda scoffed and stormed passed Han who stood silently at the doors of the study.

Malieah nodded her head at Han to shadow Melinda.

* * *

What a crap day Melinda thought as she let herself into the dojo. Sensi Chen had given her a copy of the keys a couple months back. She was always the last one to leave so he told her to lock up and her never asked for the keys back. It was the first time she used them that late. She sat in the middle of the mat head cradled in her hand as silent tears began to fall. Her shoulders fell and all her frustrations poured out in her tears. She felt like she would cry for days the rate she was going. There was no way in hell she was joining the CIA.

She just hoped she had a choice.

"I usually book the dojo on Fridays did I mix it up?" A low voice asked from behind her making her jump up. She wiped at her eyes as the blurry man came into focus. His height towered over her.

"No, I'm not supposed to be here, sorry." She turned to leave but he had already seen her tears.

"Are you okay?" His dark brown eyes were soft and she couldn't ignore the warmth behind his words.

"Fine." She mumbled.

"That's why you're crying then?" He pressed on and suddenly she couldn't look away from his handsome face.

She chuckled. "Just having a bad day." Her own voice had softened and she didn't like the way her palms were getting sweaty.

"Well I'd hate to make it worse by kicking you out. Stay as long as you like." He said with a smile.

"What are you doing here? It's two a.m."

"I like the quiet and it's the only time I can make it."

She nodded again and turned around but his voice stopped her before she could take a step.

"No, you don't have to leave."

"I wasn't." She said going to the corner giving him the mat.

He dropped his gym bag and and thanked her with a silent nod. Melinda took a seat folding her legs to watch him.

His movements were fluid and almost tranquil, she didn't recognize any of the combinations and that peaked her curiosity. She knew better than to interrupt anybody in the middle of their art, she almost took heads off when people did it to her, so she waited until he was taking a water break.

"What was that?"

"Sorry?" He hadn't realized she spoke until she stood up and crossed the mat to him.

"What is that?"

"Tai Chi," He said after taking a swig of water from his bottle.

"I've heard of it, never tried though."

"Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese form of coordinated body movements focusing on the cultivation of internal energy 'chi' Its aim is to harmonize the mind, body and spirit, promoting both mental and physical well-being through softness and relaxation. With the practice of Tai Chi the student becomes revitalized, relaxed, tolerant, self-confident and stronger and healthier in both mind and body."

"Yeah, I've never been one for tranquility. I like fast."

"Well maybe it's a good time to try something new." He said as his eyes met hers in a silent challenge.

"Maybe," She hummed looking up at him. "Melinda May." She put her hand to shake his. His grasp was firm but gentle. Telling her all she needed to know.

"Jin, nice to meet you Melinda."

Maybe there were things for her to stick around for after all.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know if you're interested. **


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